1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pivot for a stabilizer bar in a suspension system of an automotive vehicle and a method of making a bushing used in the pivot.
2. Background Information
A purpose of a stabilizer bar in a suspension system of an automotive vehicle is to resist rolling of the vehicle body in relation to wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle is making a maneuver such as a turn. A known device for mounting a stabilizer bar with respect to a vehicle body is an elastomeric pivot bushing. The bushing is annular in shape and captured in a metal bracket that is fastened to a part of the vehicle undercarriage that is in fixed relation to the body. Such a part may be a frame or sub-frame of the vehicle for example. A free end of the stabilizer bar is associated in a suitable manner with a portion of the vehicle that is associated with the vehicle undercarriage through a suspension system. The stabilizer bar is arranged to resist certain types of relative motion so the vehicle body will tend to remain more stable during certain driving maneuvers such as turns.
It is known to fabricate such bushings by injection molding and to include inserts in such bushings. It is believed that injection molding is relatively expensive because it requires injection molding capital equipment and a die that has one or more mold cavities. Where a bushing includes one or more inserts, they must also be loaded into the die before the elastomer is injected. The cycle time must be long enough to allow the injected elastomer to cure sufficiently before it is removed from the die.